Mistake in Perception
by PJ Animation
Summary: Clow Reed was a man who saw everything. But what if one of the things he predicted was wrong? Outside interference in the Final Judgment changed everything he had perceived beforehand. From then on, everything is different. Discontinued


New strange idea that wanted to be made into a story. For those of you who read my other stories, I'm halfway through a new _Duty of the Shinigami_ chapter (hopefully it'll be done later today, or tomorrow), and a third of the way through a new _Kindred Sprits _chapter (should be done by the end of this week, if all goes well). I'm really sorry about my bad work ethic, but I can't keep concentrating on writing anything for more then a few minutes unless I'm really motivated (which I am right now)

I used a combination of the CCS manga and the anime for this story.

This, by the way, is a CCSxBleach crossover, as you'll find out in the next chapter. Hope you all like the start.

_**Mistake in Perception**_

**Chapter 1: Mistake**

"Sakura, once you write your name on the card, your collecting days will be over." Cerberus's calm voice echoed through the air.

Sakura nodded. "Alright!" She grabbed the pen she had prepared before hand, and started to quickly make strokes, writing her name slowly, carefully.

"Are you ready, Sakura?" Cerberus spoke again, as she finished writing the "A" in her name.

"Wha-"

Mizuki-sensei's voice came next. "It is time… for the final trial."

A swirl of air of started to form around Sakura, making her clothes flutter lightly. The wind shifted and stirred, becoming more powerful every second.

The Clow Cards in her hands burst free, and scattered in the wind surrounding her. They buffeted, but stayed within a few feet of her.

A strange light began to emanate from the cards, illuminating everything around them, even in the darkness of night.

The wind became so powerful, Sakura felt herself being lifted a couple of inches off the ground, floating softly.

Yukito's body, sitting on a table nearby, started to glow. Wind swirled around him, lifting his limp body up as well. Underneath him, a huge magic circle formed, giving his body even more of a strange glow.

"Yukito-san!" Sakura shouted.

Ethereal wings burst from the magic circle below Yukito. They encircled him, and almost hugged him close, burying his form in their feathers. The wings quickly flipped upright, and another bright light shone between the feathers.

And the wings spread.

Instead of Yukito looking back at them, a tall man with long silver hair and violet eyes stared back at them. Feathers from his wings floated softly to the ground in the wind that surrounded him.

Sakura gasped. "Who… who are you?"

"Yue," Cerberus answered, "The other guardian of the Clow Cards."

"But… Yue? Yukito-san, where did Yukito-san go?"

Mizuki-sensei answered this time. "He is Tsukishiro-san. They are one in the same."

Sakura gasped again. "But…"

Yue's mouth opened. "Cerberus… it has been a long time."

Cerberus growled. "Guess I let my guard down. Now that I think about it, I never recognized your human guise. The first time we were in the same place was at Sakura's play, but I was… distracted. I felt the power of the moon then, but this little lady kept me occupied."

Cerberus closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. "The other guardian of Clow. Yue, the moon. He has been sealed away inside of Yukito, awaiting the time when the Clow Cards would all be sealed again."

With a flicker, Yue stood in front of Sakura. "This is the first time we've met, isn't it, little girl? You who were chosen by Cerberus to be the new Master of the Clow?" Yue lightly put his hand on her chin, pulling her close and bending to match her height, as if to examine her.

"Yukito-san…" she whispered.

A large wing came between the two of them, and Cerberus appeared beside Sakura. He lightly bit into her clothes pulling her away from Yue.

"She won't loose, she'll find a way to beat you." Cerberus spoke, directing himself towards Yue.

"You're as soft hearted as ever." Yue scoffed.

"And you're a cynical as ever." Cerberus responded with equal venom.

Sakura looked back and forth between the two. "What's going on? What do you mean 'find a way past'? Isn't the danger past, now that I've collected the cards?"

Cerberus turned to her. "There is one final test… for the one who collected the Clow Cards."

At that moment, Yue took a giant leap, spread his wings, and landed on the small gateway to the shrine. With him standing there, wings spread, the full moon was partly blocked out. His soft calm voice echoed through the quiet night, "Cards created by Clow, here stands one who would be your Master, chosen by the Advocate, Cerberus… a girl named Sakura." He said the name with derision. "To decide if she is worthy… I, Yue the Judge, hereby begin the _Final Judgment_."

Sakura stared up at the winged man, confused. "Final… Judgment…?" The cards started to glow again in response to Yue's statement.

Sakura's mind immediately blanked. She could hear Cerberus shouting encouragement to her, but she couldn't decipher the words. All that existed to her was Yue, the Cards, and herself.

This was it…

Yue held up a hand, forming a long thin piece of ice that glowed with an unearthly light. "If you are to be our true master… you will not loose to a guardian."

With that said, he brought his arm down, flinging ten of the glowing icicles at her. She spun about, and the cards whirled around her. "Jump!"

Small cartoon-ish wings burst from her feet, and she easily leapt away from the dangerous ice burst. Some sort of commotion happened among the viewers, but she didn't pay any attention.

Yue threw another wave of the strange icicles at her, and she dodged again, but the third time, her somewhat random clumsy-ness returned to haunt her, and she fell onto her butt.

Yue's voice again broke the silence of night. "You can't keep running away, Sakura, without using any more cards. You'll never win that way… or have you already given up, with nary a fight?"

Cerberus answered the call. "Pull yourself together, Sakura!" he shouted at her. "If you keep this up, the world will be on a crash course with _disaster_!"

"Disaster?"

Yue spoke calmly from above. "We will all… forget."

"Forget… forget what?"

"If the one chosen by the Advocate cannot defeat the Judge, then anyone… anyone connected to the Clow Cards in any way will forget…" Cerberus started the answer, but seemingly couldn't finish his sentence.

Yue took over. "They will loose all memory of the one person, thing, whatever it is they hold dearest to their hearts.

"The cards would then scatter to the four winds once again, as they did when you released the seal in the first place."

"So everyone… everyone who's been touched by the cards… they'll all forget… what they love most? Tomoyo-chan, Syaoran-kun, Onii-chan, Otou-san, Chiharu-chan, Rika-chan, Naoko-san, everyone at the festival, everyone at the play, even Mizuki-sensei… They'll all just forget… just like that?" she snapped her fingers.

Yue nodded sadly. "That is the fate of those touched by Clow should you fail."

Sakura bowed her head, shadowing her eyes. "No."

Yue raised an eyebrow.

"No, I won't let that happen."

A small smile made its way onto Yue's face. Finally, the true battle began.

Sakura gripped the staff tightly. "I'll do my best… no… I'll do everything possible, to make sure that doesn't happen!" she shouted at Yue.

"Then you are truly ready?"

Sakura nodded harshly, a glare of surprising force on her face.

"Then on with the trial!" Yue cried, almost gleefully.

The cards fluttered around Sakura once more, floating in a few gentle circles.

"Wood," Sakura whispered, holding out her hand. One of the fifty two cards gently floated out of the circle, into her small hand.

"Show me the power within you." She whispered to the card, holding it out in front of her. With surprisingly little animation, she tossed the card forward, and struck it with the Sealing Rod.

Large vines burst from the ground, but rather than targeting Yue, like she had planned, the card turned against her, carrying her up into the sky, tangled.

Yue floated next to her. "Wood is one of the cards under me, did Cerberus not tell you?"

"I didn't even know about you until I just met you! How could he have told me about what was under your power?!"

Yue turned slightly, looking over at Cerberus. "Is this true? Did you fail to do your duty, and inform her of the _Final Judgment_?"

Cerberus, with a glare on his lion like face, nodded.

"I see." Yue responded. "Then… it appears this is the end of the trial."

Cerberus looked down.

"There is no escape, disaster is inevitable."

A swirl of glowing energy formed around Sakura. "No." she spoke, her voice harsh.

The magic of the card holding her vanished, and the vines holding her up shattered like glass. Another card swirled into her hand. "Move." She whispered.

With a flicker, her body vanished, reappearing standing on the ground.

"So you can cancel magic that has been turned against you. Interesting, but not truly worth notice. Clow Reed is the only one who has ever defeated me."

"Did Clow Reed…" Sakura trailed off.

A visage of anger appeared in Yue's face. "Silence, the Final Judgment has ended, and you have been judged… not worthy."

In Yue's hand, glowing blue energy coalesced into a bow like shape. His other hand formed a thin glowing arrow, which he nocked and pulled back.

The cards swirled around Sakura, forming a protective barrier.

Yue's arrow shot out, striking the cards.

Sakura winced, hearing the cards crying out in pain.

Another arrow struck, and another.

Finally, Sakura had enough.

"Stop it! Can't you hear them? You're hurting them!" she cried at Yue. The only response was another arrow being shot at them.

The cards swirled back in front of her, but she pushed herself right through the barrier of cards, and flung herself in front of them.

All of the present people gasped.

Sakura could feel pain, coming from her chest. It burned, it was cold, and it was every physical feeling, all at once, coming right from her heart. The arrow had pierced her right through the heart. How not surprising.

Her body was standing, arms spread defiantly. The glowing arrow was still pierced through her body.

But surprisingly, she didn't die instantly. The cards whirled around her in frenzy. "I'm sorry… I'm not… doing a very good job… at being the Master of the Clow Cards… am I? I couldn't… even protect you… from him… I'm sorry… so sorry…" Her body went limp, and probably would have crumpled to the ground, if not for the magic of the cards holding her up. Her body tipped forward, and was lifted off the ground.

The cards whirled around her, spinning in three different rings around her body. They spun her around, leaving her laying on air, as the cards rotated around her.

_-Mistake in Perception- _

Sakura stood in a place black as night. Around her, no sound could be heard.

"I'm so sorry, Sakura. It wasn't supposed to end like this."

Sakura spun around. Behind her stood a tall man with black hair pulled into a ponytail and round glasses covering his eyes. He wore a large black cloak with the sun emblazoned on the front over a pure white robe.

"Who are you?" Sakura asked, confused.

"I am Clow Reed."

Sakura gasped. "Clow… Reed?"

"Yes. I am the one who created that staff that you used during life, the one who created the cards that caused all of this, the creator of Yue and Cerberus."

"But it wasn't supposed to end this way." Clow Reed's voice echoed through the darkness.

"I have the ability to perceive the future. Or, I did in life anyways. My last prediction that I ever made was of you, of your life, your job as the Card Mistress."

"I had created the Clow Cards, the Sealing Key, Yue and Cerberus all before I had the vision, because I was bored with life. I was simply toying with reality at that point. I created things that lived and breathed, I was transforming the natural powers of the world into thinking beings, and other petty things like that."

"But my vision of you changed all of that."

"I was not enough family for all of my creations. I alone could not teach them everything. So I left it to you to teach them about family, about love, friends, and anything else you would someday teach them of. I loved them like children, yes, but I could never teach them about the world."

"Using my powers of perception, I saw you defeat the Judge Yue, and convince him to stay by your side. I saw you defeat my reincarnation, magically transforming all fifty-two Clow Cards into Sakura Cards, taking away the need for my magic at all."

"I saw you later in life, finally bringing the Sakura Cards into true living, breathing existence, allowing them to finally have a life of their own. I saw you free Yue and Cerberus from your magic, allowing them to do whatever they wanted with their life."

"I saw you change the very world we lived in."

"But that all seems to be a lie…"

Sakura had tears in her eyes. She was listening to a broken man, she knew. "Because I died."

Clow Reed nodded. "Something that I certainly did not perceive. I am sorry."

"It isn't your fault… of course not. Not every prediction is correct, no matter what!" Sakura shook her head emphatically.

Clow Reed smiled. "This is all my fault. Had I not left the Clow Cards to you, you wouldn't have died. You would have-"

"I would have had the most boring life in existence! I wouldn't trade me finding the Clow Book for anything! I've met some awesome friends, like Syaoran-kun, and Kero-chan, and Yue-san too, even though he doesn't quite like me. Tomoyo-chan could probably become rich, making her movies of me into an actual movie, or maybe a television series! Touya would never have met Yukito-san if this hadn't happened, and Touya wasn't a very nice person before that."

"Sakura-chan…" Clow Reed trailed off.

"Don't worry about a thing! I'll be alright, I always am, remember!"

A distant look appeared on Clow Reed's face, and a small smile joined it a minute later. "That's right, Sakura-chan. That's right."

Clow Reed turned away from her for a moment, looking off into the darkness, and started to whisper.

When the whispering ended, Clow Reed turned back to Sakura, and held out both hands. In them, a small glowing purple and pink orb floated, with the very air around it churning and swirling.

"What's that?" Sakura asked.

"This is a bit of my magic, and part of my very soul. I give it to you as a gift, to make up for everything. After all, the afterlife is unknown; I wouldn't want you to go entirely unprepared. As long as you hold onto this, you'll hopefully be able to communicate with me."

Sakura nodded, and took the small ball into her hand. It glowed peacefully for a second, and Clow Reed lightly took her hand, and pushed the small ball into her heart.

A blinding flash covered the dark land, illuminating the blackness for an instant.

Clow Reed pulled back, and bowed to Sakura. "My gift has now been given. I have a… request for you, if you don't mind."

Sakura nodded.

"Your body still has most of its magic intact, and my body is running out of magic to supply the cards with. Since most magic isn't tied to your soul, but your body, you probably won't be able to use it when you die, except for that small amount that I have bound to you. I ask that you release your magic, and transfer it to the Cards and their guardians, so that they don't die and disappear when my magic runs out. Please, I want my children to live."

Sakura nodded happily. "I'd be glad too!" Then, she stopped suddenly. "But how do I do that?"

"Simply tell your magic. It is yours, to do with what you want. Tell it, and it will obey. Oh, also, give the Sealing Key to Syaoran-kun as well, please. As you do that, think hard that you want him and his family to protect the Sealing Key, the Clow/Sakura Book, and the Cards with their lives. He should hopefully get the message, if you concentrate hard enough."

Sakura nodded, and started to concentrate. First she called upon her magic, every last bit of it.

_-Mistake in Perception- _

Outside, in reality, her body began to glow, still floating lightly, suspended by the cards.

The others watched as the body began to shine brighter and brighter. In the still clenched hand of Sakura's body, the Sealing Key began to glow as well, taking on a darker color scheme. The pink faded to a dark green, and the staff started to change shape. Almost a minute later, the transformation was done, and in Sakura's hand, there was a sword. Or at least, it was almost a sword.

The Rod/Sword had a hilt, that Sakura's hand held on to. Instead of a blade, though, a long rod extended.

Then, with a glow, the Sealing Sword shrunk, down to keychain size again, and began to float away from Sakura's glowing body. As it did so, a small spark of light from Sakura's body followed it.

The Sword floated over to Syaoran, and stopped in front of him. A look of wonder appeared on his face. "Did Sakura want me to have you?" he asked the miniaturized sword, as if it could answer.

And upon grasping it, it did.

Syaoran heard Sakura's final words to him, as he held the staff. _Protect the staff, the cards, the book, and Kero-chan and Yue-san and all of our friends with your life. Please! Your family will be proud that you're the new Master of the Cards. Syaoran, this is my last request, and my final good-bye. Don't be so closed off anymore. Bye!_

Syaoran shuddered, and tears began to gather in his eyes. It had finally been realized. This was the last time he would ever see Sakura.

But something was different again. Sakura's body began to glow even more. The glow started to follow an invisible beat.

_Maybe it was what Sakura's heartbeat would have been if she were still alive? _Syaoran's inner voice spoke.

_-Mistake in Perception-_

Yue stared at the body of the girl that he had… killed. This wasn't supposed to have happened. He wasn't supposed to kill the judged ones. He wasn't even the one to truly judge them, he was only the opponent. The Cards themselves judged their supposed master, and chose to work with them or not.

_-Mistake in Perception- _

Cerberus would have been crying, had his body been able to create tears. But he wasn't created that way. Sakura had been his friend, no matter that he wasn't supposed to become friends with the chosen. She was just so likeable! There was nothing about her that a person could dislike.

_-Mistake in Perception- _

Tomoyo watched the floating, dead body of her best and only friend, with tears running down her cheeks. No! It wasn't supposed to end like this! Sakura was supposed to beat the Final Judgment, and then they would go home! Sakura would become her model for all the clothes she created, and together they'd be rich and could live out their lives together! Syaoran and Sakura could get married, (since she knew that Sakura could never love her like she loved Sakura) and they'd have two kids, one of which would fall in love with her own adopted child, and the two families would be married together! They'd all be together, right down to the end!

But it wasn't to be, as Sakura died, died in the battle against Yue-teme. He had stolen Sakura from her! It was all his fault!

_-Mistake in Perception- _

Hundreds of miles away, a boy with sad violet eyes and blue hair stood over a crystal ball, glaring at it. "No, no, no, no, no no no nonononono! It wasn't supposed to happen this way!" His fist slammed into the desk that the crystal ball sat upon, knocking it from its stand. His hands slid across the desk, knocking everything to the ground with a large crash. With surprising strength, the boy flipped the desk itself over. Calmly, the crystal ball rolled away, unseen, into the corner of the room, focusing on one thing.

Inside the ball, there was an image of Kaho Mizuki simply turning and sauntering away, a small smirk on her face.

**_A/N:_** Aww, I killed off Sakura, how terrible of me. But it had to happen.


End file.
